@FirstChurchofJerusalem
Today's Early Church Wisdom
“I shall not hesitate also to put into ordered form for you, along with the interpretations, everything I learned carefully in the past from the elders and noted down carefully, for the truth of which I vouch. For unlike most people, I took no pleasure in those who told many different stories, but only in those who taught the truth. Nor did I take pleasure in those who reported their memory of someone else’s commandments, but only in those who reported their memory of the commandments given by the Lord to the faith and proceeding from the Truth itself. And if by chance anyone who had been in attendance on the elders arrived, I made enquiries about the words of the elders—what Andrew or Peter had said, or Philip or Thomas or James or John or Matthew or any other of the Lord’s disciples, and whatever Aristion and John the Elder, the Lord’s disciples, were saying. For I did not think that information from the books would profit me as much as information from a living and surviving voice.
~ Papias of Hierapolis (c. 60–130 AD) From the Preface to his lost ‘Expositions of the Sayings of the Lord’
This week's Psalm is Psalm 31 'My Rock, My Shield, My Song'

Whose Rock Are You?

Being strong for others

Everyone is at a different place in their spiritual journey. As we grow spiritually, we get stronger, and as we do, others who have perhaps not come so far, will lean on us. This is how it should be. There was a point ins the life of Simon Peter when Jesus changed his name from Simon (which mean a 'reed') to Peter (meaning a 'rock'). As a leader (in fact, the first apostolic leader) he needed to be a man others could lean on, someone solid whose faith would hold in the trials of life. You may not think of yourself as a leader, but you are. We all have an influence, and people are watching us to see what we will do and how we will respond to events. Few of us enjoy life's trials, but if we face them with Jesus, they'll be the means by which we grow strong in Him. Then, we will be a strength to others. Because He loves us and desires that our faith will grow ever stronger, God often allows us to go through trials of increasing difficulty. At such times we may struggle to stay strong for the sake of those around us, but like Joshua of old, we must be strong and of good courage. They need us to stand firm, though we may be inwardly quaking! Whose rock are you? Be strong for them and for God.